How Long Law And Order: SVU Should Last, According To The Executive Producer

As Law & Order: SVU officially enters the latter half of Season 19, many fans are wondering about how much longer the series can last. Few shows are lucky enough to last more than a decade, let alone 19 years as SVU has done so far. Law & Order: SVU executive producer Michael Chernuchin has weighed in on how much longer the show could last, saying this:

I am writing toward more. I'm hoping that we break the record and go 21 seasons. I honestly don't see why we can't. I think we're the most relevant show on television right now. We've been doing it for 19 years and we're still relevant more than ever.

The record Michael Chernuchin referred to in his comment is Law & Order's run of 20 seasons. Given that Chernuchin is continuing to write and seemingly has every intention of the show continuing beyond the end of the current Season 19, the odds are pretty decent that Law & Order: SVU will at the very least match the season count of the original Law & Order. If everything goes well, SVU could potentially even set a new record with 21 seasons or more. Of course, there has been no official announcement of a renewal just yet, so we shouldn't start our countdowns just yet.

Having said that, Michael Chernuchin has good reason to be confident nowadays. The viewership numbers for Law & Order: SVU haven't been that different in Season 19 than in the previous couple of seasons. Season 19 did feature an episode that drew in less than 5 million viewers for the first time since the show began, but the next week drew in an audience larger than any episode in the prior season outside of the Season 18 season premiere. While viewership may be dwindling on the series overall, it doesn't appear so bad at this point that NBC will automatically the series as opposed to granting it a Season 20 renewal.

As Michael Chernuchin also pointed out in his chat with EW, Law & Order: SVU does a good job of staying relevant with what's happening in the world. The series still has yet to air to air its take on the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which was already in development prior to the beginning of the real-life scandal. If Law & Order: SVU keeps chugging along with stories that feel ripped from headlines, the series may be able to maintain its relevance and break that season record from Law & Order.

Law & Order: SVU airs on NBC Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET. The series just recently returned for the second half of Season 19 in 2018, and those who weren't in the know likely weren't checking our midseason premiere guide for updates. Anyone still curious about what all happened in 2017 as far as television is concerned can find out quick via our cancellation guide and craziest live television moments list. Folks looking to keep things more positive when referring to the past can reference the best of 2017 episode from The Cord Cutter Podcast.